This week we are presented again with a longer version of the Gospel for our contemplation:
5th Sunday Lent A 26th March 2017
N –Narrator; J – Jesus; Par – Parents; BM – Blind Man;
PN – Person ALL – People/Disciples
N: FROM THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN 9:1-41
N: As Jesus went along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. His disciples asked him,
ALL: Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, for him to have been born blind?
J: Neither he nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as the day lasts I must carry out the work of the one who sent me; the night will soon be here when no one can work. As long as I am in the world I am the light of the world.
N: He spat on the ground, made a paste with the spittle, put this over the eyes of the blind man and said to him,
J: Go and wash in the pool of Siloam.
N: The blind man went off and washed himself, and came away with his sight restored. His neighbours and people who earlier had seen him begging said,
ALL: Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?
PN: Yes, it is the same one.
ALL: No, he only looks like him.
BM: I am the man.
ALL: Then how do your eyes come to be open?
BM: The man called Jesus made a paste, daubed my eyes with it and said to me “Go and wash at Siloam”; so I went, and when I washed I could see.
ALL: Where is he?
BM: I don’t know.
N: They brought the man who had been blind to the Pharisees. It had been a sabbath day when Jesus made the paste and opened the man’s eyes, so when the pharisees asked him how he had come to see, he said,
BM: He put paste on my eyes, and I washed, and I can see.
ALL: This man cannot be from God: he does not keep the sabbath.
PN: How could a sinner produce signs like this?
N: And there was disagreement among them. So they spoke to the blind man again,
ALL: What have you to say about him yourself, now that he has opened your eyes?
BM: He is a prophet.
N: The Jews would not believe that the man had been born blind and had gained his sight, without first sending for his parents and asking them.
ALL: Is this man really your son who you say was born blind? If so how is it that he is now able to see?
Par: We know he is our son and we know he was born blind, but we don’t know how it is that he can see now, or who opened his eyes. He is old enough: let him speak for himself.
N: His parents spoke like this out of fear of the Jews, who had already agreed to expel from the synagogue anyone who should acknowledge Jesus as the Christ. The Jews again sent for the man and said to him,
ALL: Give glory to God! For our part we know that this man is a sinner.
BM: I don’t know if he is a sinner; I only know that I was blind and now I can see.
ALL: What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?
BM: I have told you once and you wouldn’t listen. Why do you want to hear it all again? Do you want to become his disciples?
N: At this they hurled abuse at him:
ALL: You can be his disciple, we are disciples of Moses: we know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this man, we don’t know where he comes from.
BM: Now here is an astonishing thing! He has opened my eyes and you don’t know where he comes from! We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but God does listen to those who are devout and do his will. Ever since the world began it is unheard of for anyone to open the eyes of a man who was born blind; if this man were not from God, he couldn’t do a thing.
ALL: Are you trying to teach us, and you a sinner through and through, since you were born!
N: And they drove him away. Jesus heard they had driven the man away, and when he found him he said to him,
J: Do you believe in the Son of Man?
BM: Sir, tell me who he is so that I may believe in him.
J: You are looking at him; he is speaking to you.
BM: Lord, I believe.
J: It is for judgement that I have come into this world, so that those without sight may see and those with sight turn blind.
N: Hearing this, some Pharisees who were present said to Jesus,
ALL: We are not blind, surely?
J: Blind? If you were, you would not be guilty, but since you say “we see”, your guilt remains.
PAUSE
N: The gospel of the Lord.
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